Department for Transport

Motorways: Kent

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of delays in the last year on motorways in Kent have had on the economy of that county; and what has been the total cost of policing provided to deal with all aspects of these delays.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Kent Resilience Forum (KRF) is responsible for traffic management in Kent. The Department does not hold data on the total cost of policing provided to deal with aspects of recent delays.The KRF’s traffic management and enforcement plans, including activation of Operation Brock on the M20, were put in place in late March to ensure continued flow of vehicles through Kent to ports whilst also trying to maintain local mobility as much as possible.We recognise that, despite best intentions, these necessary traffic management plans can adversely impact local businesses, but they are continually kept under review to ensure they are designed and implemented in the most effective way.

Dover Port: Motorways and Trade

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will provide full details of the traffic flows and delays affecting motorways within 30 miles of Dover over the last 12 months, broken down by month; and whether they will provide full details of the monthly trade flows, both inward and outward, through the port of Dover, over the last 12 months.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department does not hold data on the traffic flows and delays affecting motorways within 30 miles of Dover over the last 12 months. The Kent Resilience Forum (KRF) is responsible for traffic management in Kent.The Department collects and publishes quarterly statistics on traffic at all UK major ports by direction. Data on the flows in and out of Dover for the last four quarters is provided in the table PORT0502 below. The next quarterly statistics will be published in September covering April to June 2022. 2021 Q22021 Q32021 Q42022 Q1Dover: outwards tonnage1,7801,7491,7891,808Dover: inwards tonnage3,3503,3453,3543,174Dover: outwards units311365358329Dover: inwards units282338321310

Customs: Dover

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their reported alternative plans for the Dover Inland Border Facility site; and when they expect to apply for planning permission for these alternative plans.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Following HMRC’s decision not to build the Inland Border Facility (IBF) at Dover, the site will now revert to Department for Transport (DfT) as the owners of the land. Given the interest in minimising disruption on the strategic and local road network in Kent and at the ports, DfT is currently exploring alternative options for the development of the land including for easing pressure at the border. Any planning applications will depend upon the decisions on alternative use.DfT will continue to engage with local stakeholders, businesses, residents and MPs to ensure that any development will benefit the local community and economy.

Cycling and Walking: Finance

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a local authority that funds Active Travel investment from sources other than central government funding must carry out the work to the standards laid out in Local Transport Note 1/20 Cycling Infrastructure Design as if the funding had been provided by central government.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government is committed to increasing cycling and walking and making our roads safer for all vulnerable road users. This is vital if we are to realise the considerable health and environmental benefits of active travel. In April the Government updated its additional Network Management Duty guidance to local authorities setting out what it expects them to do in making changes to their road layouts to encourage walking and cycling.However, the detailed design of cycle lanes is a matter for individual local traffic authorities. Design advice for cycling infrastructure, can be found in the non-statutory guidance document Local Transport Note 1/20 ‘Cycle Infrastructure Design’. Local authorities are free to make their own decisions about the streets under their care, provided they take account of the relevant legislation. They are responsible for ensuring that their actions are within the law and are accountable to local people for their decisions and their performance. Local councillors are responsible for ensuring that local decisions about street infrastructure take account of the needs and opinions of local people. If Her Majesty's Government are not involved with the funding, then the Department would continue to advise that LTN 1/20 guidance be consulted to ensure designs are of the utmost quality.A key part of the Government’s strategy to increase levels of walking and cycling is setting up a new Executive Agency, Active Travel England (ATE). ATE will ensure the Government’s unprecedented £2 billion investment in active travel makes the biggest difference possible to the increasing number of people walking and cycling. ATE is currently working in shadow form and is developing toolkits for scheme designs.

Electric Vehicles: Grants

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was thetotal value of grants for purchases of electric vehicles in each of the last three years.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The total value of the plug-in car grant, and all plug-in vehicle grants, over the previous three years is as follows:Plug-in Car GrantAll Plug-in Grants2019142,952,702173,713,4252020234,862,457272,851,2512021302,836,188376,664,114Total680,651,347823,228,790NB: ‘All Plug-in Grants’ captures expenditure across cars, taxis, wheelchair accessible vehicles, vans, motorcycles and trucks.

Electric Vehicles: Grants

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultation they undertookwith the automotive sector prior to their announcement that they will cease to provide grants for purchases of some categories of electric vehicles; and what estimate they have made of the impact that the loss of these grants will have on total electric vehicle sales.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: We have been clear since 2018 that the plug-in grants will eventually end and that we keep all grants under review to ensure the best value for taxpayer’s money. Providing even a short notice period ahead of the grant rates in March 2020 led to a very large spike in orders and a larger number of these were subsequently cancelled. A similar spike this time around would not have been affordable within current budgets. Government has a responsibility to manage the grant budget and to deliver value for money for taxpayers and was therefore unable to formally consult with the automotive sector ahead of the grant changes, however we did discuss the process of halting the grant with a number of stakeholders.While the Government has slowly reduced the grant over time, the sale of electric vehicles has soared.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total value of (1) grants, and (2) other incentives, for the provision of public electric vehicle charging points in each of the last three years.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government provides funding to UK local authorities for public electric vehicle charging points via the On Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS). The total funding including completed and approved projects in each of the last three financial years is below:Financial YearORCS funding total2021 - 2022£24,989,2782020 - 2021£7,257,0982019 - 2020£4,963,391 Figures have been provided for the ORCS grant scheme that supports publicly available chargepoints. In addition, the £400 million Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund, which is now part of the new Infrastructure Bank, is a dedicated fund that will accelerate the roll-out of charging infrastructure throughout the UK. Other schemes to fund non-public chargepoints have also been available during this time.

Driving Tests: Waiting Lists

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect average driving test waiting times to return to the averagein February 2020.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is continuing to work hard to provide as many practical driving test appointments as possible. It is forecasting recovery to single figure waiting times by February 2023. The DVSA constantly assesses its modelling and regularly adjusts assumptions as appropriate if changing trends become apparent.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Wind Power: Irish Sea

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to develop wind farms in the Irish Sea.

Lord Callanan: Three large offshore windfarms, totalling 3.48GW, are currently being developed in the Irish Sea. BP and EnBW are developing the Morgan (1.5GW) and Mona (1.5GW) projects. Cobra and Flotation Energy are developing the Morecambe (0.48GW) project.

Tidal Power

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to develop a tidal lagoon to help meet energy needs.

Lord Callanan: The Government remains open to considering well-developed proposals for harnessing the tidal range energy in the bays and estuaries around our coastlines. Any such scheme would need to demonstrate strong evidence of value for money in the context of other low-carbon sources of generation before the Government could take a view on its potential.

Companies: Sustainable Development

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the implications for UK businesses of the EU's proposed Directive on Corporate Sustainability and Due Diligence.

Lord Callanan: I outlined in my letter of 23 May 2022 to the Chair of the Commons Committee for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Government’s initial views on this EU proposed directive, including its implications for UK businesses. I attach a copy of my letter, which has been published by the Committee.LC letter to BEIS SC 23rd May 2022 (pdf, 154.4KB)

Companies: Accountability

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take (1) to introduce a new UK corporate accountability law, and (2) to ensure it is effective.

Lord Callanan: The Government recently confirmed, following consultation, reforms for ‘Restoring trust in audit and corporate governance’. It has no plans to propose additional legislation for corporate accountability, for example along the lines of the EU’s recent draft directive for cross cutting corporate sustainability due diligence. The Government supports the voluntary due diligence approaches by UK businesses to these issues, taking account of international frameworks such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises. The Government has not been persuaded that a blanket approach to mandatory due diligence in law is practical or proportionate.

Companies: Accountability

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they will take to (1) introduce, and (2) implement, legislation regarding (a) corporate accountability, (b) human rights, and (c) environmental, due diligence, for businesses throughout the UK.

Lord Callanan: The Government keeps under review policy approaches involving corporate due diligence, but it currently has no plans to propose cross cutting legislation to regulate corporate accountability and due diligence for human rights and environmental protection. The Government supports voluntary due diligence approaches by UK businesses to these issues, taking account of international frameworks such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises.

Department of Health and Social Care

Evusheld

Lord Tyrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatestimate they have made of the number of immunocompromised individuals who would benefit from access to Evusheld if it became available.

Lord Kamall: Urgent work is underway with clinical experts to estimate the size of the cohort. The Therapeutics Clinical Review Panel provides advice on the most appropriate patient cohorts for new COVID-19 therapies, including preventative treatments. Final clinical policies and eligibility would be proposed by the National Health Service and agreed by the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers.

Medical Records: Gender Recognition

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what systems are in place to avoid confusion about the biological sex of a patient when NHS bodies change that patient’s gender as recorded on medical records; and where responsibility lies for any adverse clinical outcomes that follow from any such confusion.

Lord Kamall: The Gender Identity Toolkit for General Practice provides guidance on the process for creating a new patient record when a person requests a change to their recorded gender. It supports general practice teams to continue to provide inclusive and equitable care to trans and non-binary patients when their records change, such as the need to transfer medical records and recalling patients for appropriate sex-specific screening programmes. A copy of the toolkit is attached. The treating medical professional is responsible for the individual’s clinical outcomes.Gender Identity Toolkit for General Practice (pdf, 343.5KB)

Nurses: Vacancies

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the report by the Royal College of NursingNursing Under UnsustainablePressures: Staffing for Safe and Effective Care in the UK, published on 6 June; and what assessment they have made of any risks posed to patients' lives resulting from the "unsustainable pressure" on nursing staff due to staff shortages.

Lord Kamall: We welcome the Royal College of Nursing’s report and share its aim for a well-supported nursing workforce. While no specific assessment has been made, evidence-based decision-making on safe and effective staffing is a requirement for all National Health Service organisations. We have committed to deliver an additional 50,000 nurses and ensure the NHS can access a sustainable long-term workforce supply. In March 2022, the number of nurses has increased by more than 30,000 compared to September 2019.

Nurses: Recruitment

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many nurses were hired in England from countries graded as red by the World Health Organisation for each of the past 10 years.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to stop hiring health care professionals from countries listed as red by the World Health Organisation.

Lord Kamall: Information on the number of nurses hired in England from countries graded as red by the World Health Organization (WHO) for each of the past 10 years, is not collected in the format requested. While the National Health Service Electronic Staff Record collects self-reported data on nationality, this does not show where staff were trained or the country in which they were resident at that time.International recruitment in England is guided by the Code of Practice for the International Recruitment of Health and Social Care Personnel, which is available in an online only format. The Code prevents active international recruitment, without a Government to Government agreement, from the 47 countries on the WHO’s Health Workforce Support and Safeguards list. These countries have been identified by the WHO as having health economies with significant and unsustainable workforce challenges. However, the Code is mindful of an individuals’ right to migrate and those from countries on this list can make direct applications for vacancies in the United Kingdom health and social care sectors of their own accord.

Department for Education

Prisoners: Apprentices

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatplans they have to allow businesses to direct the apprenticeship levy towards prison rehabilitation schemes.

Baroness Barran: The department fully supports preparing prisoners for employment upon their release and recognises how important this is. We are working with the Ministry of Justice to introduce an apprenticeship programme for those in prison and who are close to being released, in order for these individuals to benefit from the enhanced skills and employment prospects that apprenticeships bring.We expect to make the necessary changes to legislation by the autumn to allow the first apprenticeship starts later on this year. Initially, up to 100 prisoners a year will be supported to begin an apprenticeship in custody.The introduction of apprenticeships for serving prisoners later this year will allow levy-paying employers to use their levy funds to support apprenticeships for those in custody. Levy payers can already employ prisoners as apprentices upon their release and can use their levy funds to support these apprenticeships.We do not have plans to allow businesses to direct levy funds intended for apprenticeships towards prisoner rehabilitation schemes. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for, and receives funding to deliver, prisoner education and rehabilitation services.

Educational Exchanges

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to reinstate the Erasmus scheme for developing international educational opportunities in all schools in England.

Baroness Barran: While the government fully recognises the benefits of international educational opportunities, the government has decided that it was not in the UK's interests to seek continuing participation in the Erasmus+ programme.Under the Withdrawal Agreement negotiated with the EU, the UK will continue to participate fully in the 2014-2020 Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes. This means that the projects successfully bid for during the current programmes will continue to receive EU funding for the full duration of the project, where certain projects may continue up to 2024.The UK has introduced the Turing Scheme, a new international mobility scheme that has a global reach. The Turing Scheme provides funding for UK education providers and organisations in the schools, higher education, further education, vocational education, and training sectors to offer international opportunities across the world for their pupils, students, and learners. Funding has been allocated for over 41,000 individual placements to over 150 destinations across the 2021/2022 academic year.

Adult Education

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have toestablish a branded adult education centre in every town which supports adults into learning and throughout their education journey.

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatplans they have torun a national campaign for adult education explaining (1) what opportunities are free to access, and (2) how to access courses.

Baroness Barran: A large number of providers across the country, such as further education colleges and Independent Training Providers, are already delivering local adult education and skills provision. This ensures that adult learners have the opportunity to gain new qualifications and skills in their area.The department is continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the adult education budget (AEB). This comprises £1.34 billion in the 2021/22 academic year. The AEB fully funds, or co-funds, skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3. This is to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship, or further learning.The department is also investing £1.6 billion through the National Skills Fund across the 2022 to 2025 financial years, on top of the £375 million already committed in the 2021/22 financial year. This includes investment of up to £550 million to significantly expand Skills Bootcamps, and investment to expand the eligibility for delivery of the Free Courses for Jobs offer, which is now open to more adults.The National Careers Service provides free, up-to-date, and impartial information, advice, and guidance to help individuals consider the different programmes, learning and skills opportunities in their local areas. This helps them determine which route would be best for them. This includes community-based face-to-face service for priority groups of adults, such as those with low qualification levels or learning difficulties and disabilities.The department launched the Skills for Life campaign in January 2022, focusing on adults in England. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the different education and training routes available for adults to get the skills they need to get the job they want, whatever their stage in life. This includes promotion of free opportunities for adults, such as Skills Bootcamps, Free Courses for Jobs, apprenticeships, Multiply and essential maths, English, and digital skills. The campaign signposts adults to Skills for Life and the National Careers Service to find out more and apply. The department plans to launch the second phase of the campaign later this year.

Ministry of Justice

Immigration: Appeals

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how manyHome Office immigration decisions have been overturned on appeal in the past five years.

Lord Bellamy: For the period April to March in each of the years set out below the Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal allowed the following number of appeals against Home Office decisions:a) 25,692 appeals in 2017 to 2018b) 23,573 appeals in 2018 to 2019c) 19,797 appeals in 2019 to 2020d) 5,778 appeals in 2020 to 2021e) 13,408 appeals in 2021 to 2022 The latest release of Official Statistics for Tribunals (Tribunal Statistics Quarterly – January to March 2022) published on 9 June 2022 can be found at the link below:www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2022.The percentage Allowed/Granted in the Official Statistics for Immigration and Asylum (FIA3) are rounded to the nearest whole number.

Disability: Discrimination

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their response on 29 November 2021 to the Liaison Committee reportThe Equality Act 2010: the impact on disabled people Follow-up report, published on 9 September 2021 (2nd report, HL Paper 60), what further consideration they have given to amending the Civil Procedure Rules to apply Qualified One-Way Costs Shifting to discrimination under the Equality Act 2010, in order to ensure access to justice for disabled people.

Lord Bellamy: The Government remains committed to ensuring that access to justice is a reality for disabled people in exercising their rights, and is continuing to carefully consider the issue, including examining the possibility of a consultation and the feasibility of a potential pilot scheme testing the advantages and disadvantages of extending costs protection to such claims. We aim to set out the way forward in the coming months.

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements: Commonwealth and USA

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthey will consider entering into negotiations with the United States and Commonwealth countries to establish a single free trade agreement involving all of those nations.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: The United Kingdom already has trade deals with 33 Commonwealth nations. In addition, we are negotiating free trade agreements with India, as well as Brunei and Malaysia through the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). A further fifteen Commonwealth nations, who qualify as developing nations, will benefit from reduced tariffs under the new Developing Countries Trading Scheme. The United Kingdom is ready to progress negotiations on a trade deal with the United States when they are ready to do so. In the meantime, both sides have agreed to develop a roadmap to further strengthen Anglo-American trade.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Iran: Nuclear Power

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of Iran's reported removal of surveillance cameras from the nuclear sites in that country; and what assessment they have made of the impact that this will have on the International Atomic Energy Agency's ability to track Iran's advance towards a nuclear programme.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Iran has confirmed to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) its decision to end all JCPoA-related transparency measures. The removal of IAEA surveillance cameras jeopardises the ability of the IAEA to restore continuity of knowledge on key parts of the Iranian nuclear programme, including on the production of centrifuges. We urge Iran to cease its nuclear escalation and urgently take the deal on the table that would return it to its JCPoA commitments, and bring US back to the deal.

Treaties

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government on how many occasions since 1992 they have broken international treaties to which the UK was a signatory.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Her Majesty's Government's long-established position is to act in compliance with international law. The United Kingdom also submits to relevant international courts and mechanisms, in accordance with its treaty obligations, and acts to comply with their binding rulings.

Turkey: F16 Aircraft

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) the government of Turkey and (2) the governments of other NATO members regarding the government of Turkey’s possible purchase of 40 new F-16 fighter jets.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Turkey is a NATO ally and long-standing partner of the UK. We support the strengthening of NATO's southern flank by boosting the air capability of Allies and reducing dependencies on Russia-sourced equipment. It is for the US Government to decide on the military equipment they sell to Turkey.

Turkey: NATO

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they will have with NATO members regardingthe warning given by the President of Turkeyabout a planned military offensive in the Syrian areas of Tel Rifaat and Manbij.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: In light of recent public statements we are concerned about any potential military escalation in northern Syria. We continue to engage with Türkiye and international partners, to encourage restraint, underlining the risks to the stability and security of the region of further military activity.

Qatar: World Cup

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports that members of the Welsh football support team will not attend the World Cup in Qatar because of that country’s treatment of gay people, what discussions they have had with the government of Qatar about such treatment.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Ministers and senior officials have raised LGBT+ visitors with the Qataris at all levels, including Minister Milling with the Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy on 15 March. Qatari authorities have repeatedly committed that "everybody is welcome". This engagement will continue between now and the tournament so that anyone, of any background, can go and enjoy themselves.We are encouraging all British nationals considering travel to the World Cup to read the Travel Advice page, and sign up for email alerts to stay up to date on the latest information.

Kiribati: Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthey are willing to engage on the(1) victim assistance, and(2)environmentalremediation, elements of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, including with state parties such as Kiribati.

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatresponsibility they take, if any, in respect of (1) victim assistance, and (2) environmental remediation, arising from the testing of nuclear weapons; what programmes they support in each of those areas; and what assessment they have made of how any such programmes support the goals of the 2010 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government does not believe the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) will bring us closer to a world without nuclear weapons. The UK will not sign or engage with the Treaty. The Government firmly believes that the best way to achieve our collective goal of a world without nuclear weapons is through gradual multilateral disarmament negotiated using a step-by-step approach, under the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).The effects and consequences of nuclear testing are not part of the NPT. The Treaty related to the cessation of nuclear testing is the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The UK has had a moratorium on nuclear testing since 1991, and was one of the first to sign and ratify the CTBT in 1998. We call on all States who are yet to ratify the CTBT to do so as soon as possible, so that it can enter into force.

Israel: Palestinians

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel over continuing reports of the killing of Palestinians, including children, by Israeli military personnel.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We regularly raise the issue of the high numbers of Palestinians killed and injured by Israeli Defense Forces in the West Bank and Gaza with the Israeli authorities, encouraging them to carry out swift, transparent and thorough investigations and, if wrongdoing is found, that those responsible be held to account. We continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, particularly the need to protect children, and urge restraint in the use of live fire.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will reconsider their decision not to attend the meeting on the Treaty on theProhibitionof Nuclear Weapons in June.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government does not believe the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) will bring us closer to a world without nuclear weapons. The UK will not sign the Treaty and did not send Observers to the First Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW. The Government firmly believes that the best way to achieve our collective goal of a world without nuclear weapons is through gradual multilateral disarmament negotiated using a step-by-step approach, under the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Sanctions

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report byLord Skidelsky Economic Sanctions: A Weapon out of Control, published in April.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government uses our sanctions regimes as part of an integrated approach to promote our values and interests, and to combat state threats, terrorism, cyber-attacks, and the use and proliferation of chemical weapons. The UK considers the impact and effectiveness of sanctions, and works with our international partners to ensure sanctions regimes support our objectives and minimise unintended impacts.In lockstep with our allies, we have announced the strongest set of economic sanctions ever imposed against a major economy in response to Russia's unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine, cutting off funding for Putin's war machine. The UK's sanctions have been strategically coordinated with international allies to impose a severe cost. Sanctions imposed by the UK and its international partners are having deep and damaging consequences for Putin's ability to wage war, with around £275 billion - up to 60% of Russian foreign currency reserves - currently frozen.

Syria: Religious Freedom

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the safety of, and freedom of religion for, Christians inSyria.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We remain deeply troubled about the severity and scale of violations and abuses of freedom of religion and belief in many parts of the world, including Syria. We understand that Christians in Syria are subject to daily insecurities, including arbitrary arrest, forced disappearance and conscription. Our assessment is that, like all Syrians and religious or belief groups, Christians also face threats from militias and warlords who act with impunity, and they face acute economic hardships and lack of services. The UK will continue to call for a political settlement that protects the rights of all minorities, including Christians and continue to hold the Asad regime to account.

Iraq: Religious Freedom

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe safety of, and freedom of religion for, Christians in Iraq.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Promoting the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities in Iraq. The UK is committed to defending FoRB for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. We continue to monitor the situation of Christians and other minority groups in Iraq, regularly engaging with Christian leaders and civil society, as well as other minority groups. Our Embassy in Baghdad and our Consulate in Erbil will continue to highlight to the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government the need to protect ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians.

Development Aid

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to reinstate the overseas aid budget to 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government remains committed to the International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015 and to spending 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) on ODA once the fiscal situation allows. The Government will continue to monitor future forecasts closely and, each year over the period, will review and confirm, in accordance with the Act, whether a return to spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA is possible against the latest fiscal forecast. The government will determine whether the ODA fiscal tests will be met for 2023-24 at Budget 2022.

Persecution of Christians Across the Globe Independent Review

The Lord Bishop of Guildford: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in advance of the third anniversary of the publication of the Bishop of Truro’s Independent Review for the UK Foreign Secretary of Foreign and Commonwealth Office Support for Persecuted Christians, published on 4 July 2019, whether they intend to fulfil recommendation 22 of that report.

The Lord Bishop of Guildford: To ask Her Majesty's Government who will conduct the review of the progress made since the Bishop of Truro’s Independent Review for the UK Foreign Secretary of Foreign and Commonwealth Office Support for Persecuted Christians, published on 4 July 2019; what will be their terms of reference; and when the findings of this review will be published.

The Lord Bishop of Guildford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether theyintend to implement any of the recommendations of the Bishop of Truro’s Independent Review for the UK Foreign Secretary of Foreign and Commonwealth Office Support for Persecuted Christians, published on 4 July 2019, after 4 July this year.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Promoting the right to FoRB is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities. The Prime Minister reaffirmed his commitment to FoRB by appointing Fiona Bruce, MP, as his Special Envoy for FoRB. On 5-6 July 2022, the UK Government will host an international Ministerial conference in London to drive forward international efforts on FoRB, demonstrating our leading role in supporting freedom and openness.The Bishop of Truro's review provided recommendations for a Government response to support members of all faiths, beliefs, and those of no religious belief. We have taken forward the 22 recommendations in a way that makes a real change for everyone persecuted for their religion or belief. In line with recommendation 22, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office commissioned an independent review to assess the implementation of the Bishop of Truro's recommendations. The independent report will be published in due course.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Accountancy

Baroness Sugg: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office accounts due to be published at the end of July will include the detailed spending allocations for the financial year 2022/23.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The FCDO's Annual Report and Accounts will be laid in Parliament before the Summer recess, and will include further detail on FCDO's planned Overseas Development Assistance spending.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Accountancy

Baroness Sugg: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a signed hard copy of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office annual accounts will be sent to Members of the House of Lords; and if not, whether this practice has ceased due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Under the International Development (Reporting & Transparency) Act 2006 and the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000, FCDO will provide printed copies of its Annual Report & Accounts (ARA) to the Vote Office which are available to all Parliamentarians. Copies are also available in the respective House Libraries. The Accounting Officer's signed copy of the ARA is supplied to the National Audit Office.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Canada

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of willingness of the government of Canada to enter discussions for a reciprocal social security agreement.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: There are two separate social security arrangements in place between the UK and Canada, made in 1995 and 1998. The UK Government is not intending to change the social security relationship with Canada.

Commonwealth: Pensioners

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support UK pensioners in Commonwealth countries.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The UK State Pension is payable worldwide to those who meet the qualifying conditions, and we continue to up-rate it abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so – for example where there is a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating. People move abroad for many reasons and it is their own choice to do so. There is information available in leaflets and on GOV.UK on how to claim State Pension from overseas and on what the effect of going abroad will be on entitlement to the UK State Pension.

Universal Credit: Harrogate

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stedman-Scott on 28 April (HL7970) and the subsequent correspondence on 11 May,out of the six people who missed their initial deadline day for claiming universal credit, how many of the extensions were made at the claimant's request and how many were on the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions’ initiative.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Department does not hold this data.

Disability

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish the National Disability Strategy 2022 update.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Minister for Disabled People provided an update on the National Disability Strategy to the House through a Written Ministerial Statement on Monday 13th June. In January 2022, the High Court declared it was unlawful because the UK Disability Survey, which informed it, was held to be a voluntary consultation that failed to comply with the legal requirements on public consultations. We are disappointed by and strongly disagree with this finding, and the Secretary of State has sought permission to appeal the High Court's declaration. We remain committed to improving opportunities and outcomes for disabled people as we await the outcome of the appeal.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Pollution Control

Lord Randall of Uxbridge: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Environment Agency has yet to issue a fine or prosecution under the Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018, despite reports of 391 breaches of the Regulations in the last financial year.

Lord Randall of Uxbridge: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Environment Agency was reportedly asked not to enforce the Farming Rules for Water for a number of years after they were first introduced.

Lord Benyon: When introduced in 2018, these regulations placed new obligations on many farmers in order to minimise the risk of pollution. Meeting these obligations can require farmers to adapt and change their businesses which can be a significant undertaking. Defra and the Environment Agency (EA) agreed that during the first year of the regulations being in force, it would be appropriate to maximise staff time spent helping businesses adapt to the new requirements to drive up compliance.The EA takes a proactive advice-led approach to enforcement. Officers work with farmers to bring them into compliance before following up with more formal enforcement action if that advice is not acted on. The EA has found that most farmers are taking the opportunity to benefit from this advice and do not require formal enforcement action to achieve the environmental outcomes required. For example, the River Axe Regulatory Project, which aims to drive change on dairy farms has resulted in an estimated £6-8 million investment in farm infrastructure improvements and an enhancement of 30km of watercourses that discharge to the local Special Area of Conservation.From April 2021 to date, the EA has issued 3869 environmental improvement actions to farmers to bring them into compliance with regulations. 1297 of these actions have been completed and it will continue to follow up the others to conclusion. Some actions, such as building farm infrastructure, can take time to complete due to planning considerations and availability of contractors. The EA will prosecute or apply civil sanctions if it is in the public interest to do so, but aims to work collaboratively with farmers to drive up compliance in the first instance. Defra has made additional funding available to the EA from 2021-2022 to recruit 50 additional inspection officers, significantly increasing their capacity to conduct inspections and work with farmers to meet their obligations.

Avian Influenza: Shetland

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to mitigate the effects of bird flu in Shetland.

Lord Benyon: Disease control is a devolved matter, and it is for the devolved administrations to assess their disease risks and respond accordingly. However, each of the administrations seeks consistent and coordinated response to disease control across Great Britain (GB) where possible. Avian influenza control measures for the three GB administrations are set out in the GB notifiable avian disease control strategy (copy also attached to this answer). As part of the coordinated GB response to avian influenza, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carries out year-round avian influenza surveillance of dead wild birds submitted via public reports and warden patrols on behalf of Defra, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government to help us understand how the disease is distributed geographically and in different types of bird. Through this surveillance, wild birds including Eider ducks, great black-backed gulls, gannets and Arctic terns have been found positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 on Shetland. The Scottish Government is working closely with APHA, NatureScot and other non-governmental organisations including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the British Trust for Ornithology to monitor and respond to the effect of avian influenza on wild birds on Shetland and other areas of Scotland.Avian Disease Control Strategy (pdf, 1224.9KB)

Northern Ireland Protocol

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatrecent discussions they have had withthe food industry in Northern Ireland in relation to the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

Lord Benyon: Defra regularly engages with a wide range of businesses and industry bodies including the food industry via various forums, to understand the impacts of the Northern Ireland Protocol. Our weekly NI-GB Food Supply Chain Forum regularly attracts over 150 businesses and, during the week commencing 13 June, we held eight distinct engagements with multiple sectors of the food supply chain via dedicated roundtables, forums and 1:1 engagements.

River Chelt: Sewage

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take toprevent the discharge of raw sewage into the River Chelt (1) near Charlton Kings, (2) at St Peter’s Park, and (3) at Hatherley Brook.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are the first government to take concerted action to reduce storm sewage discharges. The current use of sewage discharges is unacceptable, which is why this government is committed to a step change on action to protect public health and the environment from storm overflows. The Strategic Policy Statement for Ofwat sets an expectation on water companies to make progressive reductions in the adverse impacts from storm overflows, including reducing their frequency and volume, and the landmark Environment Act has placed this ambition on a statutory footing. The Environment Act also places new duties on water companies to monitor water quality upstream and downstream of overflows, which will drive further environmental protections and help hold water companies to account. We recently consulted on the largest programme to tackle storm overflows in history, and proposed targets will see an 80% reduction in all discharges. If we do not see progress, we will not hesitate to take further action. Since privatisation of the water industry, around £30 billion has been invested to reduce pollution. Water company investment is being scaled up to a further £7.1 billion, in the current five-year price review period.

Home Office

Asylum: EU Countries

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the circumstances in which refugees who arrive in the UK after passing through an EU country can still, under certain circumstances, be returned to the first EU country they entered, under the Dublin Regulation (EU Regulation No 604/2013).

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The UK is no longer bound by the Dublin Regulation and as such no longer returns asylum seekers under these provisions.The UK is in discussions regarding the returns of asylum seekers to European Union Member States; however, it would not be appropriate to provide a running commentary on these negotiations.Returns may also be agreed with partner countries on a case-by-case basis without formal agreements. This happened historically, outside of the former Dublin arrangements, and will continue to be part of the approach we apply.Our inadmissibility provisions in the Immigration Rules give us the legal basis to declare an asylum claim as inadmissible where a person has a connection to, or has passed through, a safe country. The first returns on inadmissibility grounds have been successfully carried out.

Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Home Secretary has met the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI), David Neal, since he was appointed; whether they have cancelled six scheduled meetings since his appointment; and if so, what were the reasons for the delay to the meeting taking place.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Mr Neal has regular meetings with Ministers whose portfolios include Borders and Immigration, as well as with senior officials including the Permanent Secretaries.

Asylum: Age

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how manyHome Office decisions on the age of migrant asylum seekers have been (1) disputed, and (2) needed to be reassessed, in the past five years.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’, which can be found on gov.uk.Data on age disputes raised can be found in table Asy_D05 of the ‘asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’, which is also attached. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relate to the year ending March 2022. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the 'Research and statistics calendar’ section, on gov.uk (year ending June 2022 will be released on 25 August 2022)The Home office does not publish a breakdown on the number of age assessments disputed or reassessed.Asy_D05 (xlsx, 166.6KB)

Asylum: Rwanda

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have now set up the independent Monitoring Committee under the Memorandum of Understanding with the government of Rwanda concerning the asylum partnership arrangement; if so, who are the members of the Committee; and if not, when will it be set up.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Monitoring Committee for the Migration and Economic Development Partnership is in the process of being set up. Details will be provided in due course.

Asylum: Housing

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of therecommendation by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists that they should set minimum standards for asylum accommodation for pregnant woman and their babies.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Our Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts (AASC) govern the relationship between the Home Office and the three companies contracted to provide asylum accommodation. They contain a detailed list of requirements for accommodation, including initial accommodation, dispersed accommodation and required accommodation standards. These requirements all meet or exceed the Government’s Decent Homes Standard for the private rented sector.In contracting with our accommodation providers, we are ensuring that pregnant women are dispersed into accommodation suitable for both the mother and the baby, both before and after birth. This is in line with our existing published guidance on healthcare needs and pregnancy dispersal.Accommodation provider performance in relation to accommodation standards is monitored on a regular basis and we have tight timescales in which accommodation providers must resolve issues within our accommodation.Detailed specifications on the services which have to be provided are set out in a published Statement of Requirements for the contracts.Additionally, the Home Office meets regularly with health colleagues, including a Maternal Health Sub Group, with relevant clinicians, to discuss further improvements to the asylum support system for women with maternal health needs.

Asylum: Offshoring

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the remarks by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on 14 April that they "remain firmly opposed to arrangements that seek to transfer refugees and asylum seekers to third countries in the absence of sufficient safeguards and standards".

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Safeguards and assurances were considered throughout the development of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership between the UK and Rwanda, and have been included in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). For example, the MoU provides for the creation of a Joint Committee and a Monitoring Committee to oversee the Partnership and provide ongoing assurances.The Home Office Country Policy and Information Team also carried out an assessment of Rwanda’s asylum system and investigated potential human rights issues. More information on its findings can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rwanda-country-policy-and-information-notesIt should be noted that the UNHCR said, in a 2020 press notice, that Rwanda has been welcoming refugees for over two decades. It added that the country offers a safe and protective environment to all asylum seekers and refugees.

Asylum: Rwanda

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many asylum seekers will be on board the deportation flight to Rwanda on 14 June; and what was the cost per head.

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there was any parliamentary approval regarding the agreement reached with Rwanda in relation to asylum seekers.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We will not provide a running commentary on operational planning for a charter flight. Information will be provided in due course.The UK has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Rwanda for the provision of an asylum partnership arrangement and to address the shared challenge of illegal migration. This has been published on GOV.UK. The Migration and Economic Development Partnership fully complies with all national and international law, including the UN Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights.The Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (Section 10) enables the Home Office to remove persons unlawfully in the UK.

Slavery: Car Washes and Personal Care Services

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to raise awareness of the signs of modern slavery, particularly in businesses such as (1) car washes, and (2) nail bars.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government is fully committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery, including when it manifests in car washes and nail bars to ensure those who commit these crimes are brought to justice.The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) protects vulnerable and exploited workers and investigates all aspects of labour exploitation across all sectors in England and Wales. A key element of the GLAA’s role is to support businesses to prevent modern slavery. As set out in its annual business strategy, the GLAA lead engagement with businesses to highlight the risks of modern slavery, and how to spot the signs.Car washes are a sector identified by the Director of Labour Market Enforcement as high risk of modern slavery and exploitative practice. The Home Office has funded two pilots of the Responsible Car Wash Scheme (RCWS) to examine the efficacy of industry led accreditation, and its code of practice, to raise compliance in hand car washes. RCWS worked closely with the GLAA and the Clewer Initiative on these pilots. We await independent evaluation reports of the pilots.The GLAA is also working in partnership with the Clewer Initiative and Project Challenger from Greater Manchester to improve understanding of the scale and nature of modern slavery and exploitative practices in the nail bar industry. Findings from this work will help to inform future initiatives to prevent exploitation in this sector.

Windrush Generation: Government Assistance

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to ensure that members of the Windrush generation are supported in their retirement.

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the support provided to members of the Windrush generation in their retirement.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: For people of State Pension age, there is a contributory State Pension based on an individual’s National Insurance record. It is supported by further measures for older people including Pension Credit which provides means-tested support for those most in need.We are putting in place arrangements across Government to ensure where members of the Windrush generation have been denied access to employment because they were unable to demonstrate their lawful status, their National Insurance position is corrected so the period of the loss does not impact their State Pension entitlement.

Slavery: Car Washes

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the Safe Car Wash App by the Clewer Initiative; and how many instances of modern slavery have been linked to car washes in the last 10 years.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government is fully committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery, including when it manifests in car washes to ensure those who commit these crimes are brought to justice.We welcome all initiatives that support the Government’s efforts to tackle labour exploitation, such as the ‘Safe Car Wash App’ by the Clewer Initiative.The law enforcement community have been working directly with the Clewer Initiative to utilise the data from their application, which helps to identify car wash locations of concern and assists in understanding the number of such businesses.Users of the app are advised to report potential offences to the Modern Slavery Helpline. The helpline will forward appropriate referrals to the police or Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority to assist the identification of potential victims and perpetrators of modern slavery.The Government does not hold a breakdown of Modern Slavery cases linked to car washes. Published police recorded crime data can be found here: Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

High Rise Flats: Insulation

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent estimate they have made of the number of high rise buildings in the (1) public, and (2) private, sector that still have dangerous and unsuitable cladding on them.

Lord Greenhalgh: Information on the remediation progress of high-rise (over 18 metres) residential, including private sector, and publicly-owned buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations is available (attached) in the Building Safety Programme data release.For high-rise residential buildings with unsafe non-ACM cladding, the Department is continuing to work with building owners to progress applications for the Building Safety Fund at pace so more remedial works can begin as swiftly as possible.Information on registrations to the Building Safety Fund can be found (attached) here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remediation-of-non-acm-buildings#building-safety-fund-registrations-private-sector-and-social-sector.  ACM remediation data (pdf, 312.9KB)Remediation of non ACM buildings (pdf, 367.3KB)

Urban Areas

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the future of the high street towns in England outside of London.

Lord Greenhalgh: High streets and towns form a key part of the Government's mission to level up across the country. Now, more than ever, it is vital that we continue to help our local economies by supporting town centres and high streets to innovate, evolve and thrive.Last year we published our vision for the future of high streets in the Build Back Better High Streets strategy. This document set out the Government's long-term plan to support the evolution of high streets into thriving places to work, visit and live.We have gone further to set out our ambition for our towns and high streets in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, published last month, through High Street Rental Auctions which will grant a permissive power to local authorities to tackle the problem of persistently vacant property on high streets and in town centres. We want to devolve power and give local leaders and communities the tools they need to make better places, and this new tool will empower places to tackle decline by bringing vacant units back into use.The Bill forms a key component of our wider programme to level up the country, as set out in the Levelling Up White Paper published in February this year. The White Paper unveiled an ambitious programme to reduce inequality and close the gap - in productivity, health, incomes, and opportunity - between much of the south east and the rest of the country.This is all underpinned by billions of pounds Government has already committed to support economic growth and regeneration for high streets, through the £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund and the £3.6 billion Towns Fund, which includes support for 101 Town Deals and 72 Future High Streets Fund projects.

Cabinet Office

Ukraine: Visits Abroad

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the cost of the Prime Minister's flight to Ukraine on 17 June.

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Prime Minister's flight to Ukraine on 17 June was (1) a special charter flight, or (2) a regular commercial flight.

Lord True: Details of the Prime Minister’s overseas travel are published quarterly and will be made available on GOV.UK in due course.

Treasury

Cryptocurrencies

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) safety, and (2) security, of cryptocurrencies.

Baroness Penn: In April the Government announced a number of specific reforms to strengthen cryptoasset regulation, including a commitment to bring stablecoins into payments regulation, and to consult on a wider cryptoasset regulatory regime later this year. The Government has also announced forthcoming legislation which, along with supportive Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules, will regulate in-scope cryptoasset financial promotions, requiring them to be fair, clear and not misleading for consumers. The Government has taken action to mitigate the illicit finance risks associated with cryptoassets. All cryptoasset firms in the UK must now be registered for supervision by the Financial Conduct Authority. As a part of this process, cryptoasset firms must demonstrate systems, controls, policies and procedures adequate to deal with the particular risks of the cryptoasset market and any officers, managers and beneficial owners must be fit and proper. These commitments are in line with the Government’s objectives to create a regulatory environment in which firms can innovate, while crucially maintaining financial stability and regulatory standards so that people can use new technologies both reliably and safely. The Cryptoasset Taskforce – HMT, the Bank of England, and the FCA – continues to monitor ongoing development in cryptoasset markets closely. Volatility is a characteristic of certain cryptoassets. The FCA and Bank of England have warned that cryptoassets are high risk investments, and that investors should be prepared to lose all of their money. The Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee (FPC) has recently noted that direct risks to the stability of the UK financial system from cryptoassets are limited, and that crypto technologies are growing and becoming more interconnected with the core financial system.

Food: Taxation

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have tousea sugar and salt tax to fund healthy food options for those living in poverty.

Baroness Penn: The affordability of food, and individuals’ access to food, is a key element of the Government’s approach to tackling poverty as we manage the impact of cost-of-living pressures. The Government’s food strategy[1] sets out measures which will ease supply chain bottlenecks and improve efficiency, therefore reducing pressures on the cost of food; it includes measures to support good quality jobs around the country; and it also sets out how we will continue to support children and families on low incomes to learn and eat healthily through various initiatives such as the Healthy Start Scheme, free school meals, breakfast clubs and the Holiday Activities and Food Programme. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-food-strategy

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

UEFA Euro 2020 Final Review

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether all the recommendations of Baroness Casey of Blackstock's review of events surrounding the UEFA Euro 2020 Final have been acted on.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Her Majesty’s Government continues to work with the relevant authorities to ensure that football fans can enjoy the sport and attend matches safely. This includes working with partners on the recommendations of Baroness Casey of Blackstock’s review into the events surrounding the UEFA Euro 2020 Final.Although this review was commissioned by and reported to the English Football Association, Her Majesty’s Government was referred to in four of the recommendations and we have been undertaking work to take these forward.This includes work on extending football banning orders to cover offences of the selling and taking of Class A drugs at football games (under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022). We continue to work with relevant parties on the other issues raised in the review, on stewarding events, clarifying the responsibility of Zone Ex for major events, and ensuring the categorisation of matches is appropriate.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre

Lord Empey: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what discussions the House of Lords had with the landlord of the QEII conference centre about the relocation of the House as part of the Restoration and Renewal project; and on what basis such discussions took place.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The freehold title for the QEII Conference Centre is currently held by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (previously the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government). Since 2018 House of Lords officials have been involved in discussions with officials at DLUHC (then MHCLG) regarding potential use of the QEII Conference Centre by the House of Lords as part of the Restoration and Renewal (R&R) programme. This has included exploring the terms of any possible acquisition of the building for the purposes of housing the House of Lords during the R&R programme and seeking to understand the associated costs, risks and liabilities.This follows the QEII Conference Centre having been identified as the preferred decant location for the House of Lords, in line with the recommendation by the Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster in 2016; a recommendation which was agreed by the House of Lords Commission in September 2018, subject to further feasibility work being undertaken.

Women and Equalities

Leasehold

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made regarding apublic consultation on the implementation of section 36 of the Equality Act 2010(reasonable adjustments to the common parts of leasehold properties).

Baroness Stedman-Scott: On 9 June 2022, the Government launched the consultation on the implementation and commencement of the remaining parts of Section 36 of the Equality Act 2010 (the Act) and its associated schedules. When commenced, these will place a duty on landlords to make or facilitate reasonable adjustments to the common parts of residential property, where a disabled resident requests this, in England and Wales. The consultation lasts until 18 August.The consultation is available in a range of accessible formats at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/improving-disabled-peoples-access-to-let-residential-premises-reasonable-adjustments-to-common-parts-a-new-duty